


I promise I’ll sing a song for you (It wouldn’t be the first time)

by tetsuskitten



Series: Wake me up for the reprise [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Music, Established Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 10:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12167451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tetsuskitten/pseuds/tetsuskitten
Summary: Tetsurou is working as a full-time musician and Koutarou has finished his degree and is practicing his craft as a Physical Therapist. Now, Tetsurou and The Back Alley Cats (Iwaizumi, Daichi and Oikawa) are going on a tour for 3 months and Koutarou will stay in Tokyo.Three months which will bring with them many realizations, good memories and life changing decisions.





	1. For how long

**Author's Note:**

> This fic works as a stand alone but it takes place on the same universe as Wake up, stranger, three years later from it to be exact.

When Tetsurou had announced that the possibility of a tour was in the near future, Koutarou had smiled and been happy for him. They had celebrated because future possibilities are always far, as near as they may be in the progress of a timeline they can’t see. Imagining the future in your head is one thing but being dropped inside it can be terrifying. But that night there was no room for fright, only joyful cheers and the clicking of glasses.

Progressively, Koutarou began to realize how true that statement had been because things had been moving faster each passing day. Their album was selling, the views on their videos kept going up, the money was flowing. They were reaching a goal. Their fans requested that they come to their cities: Nagoya, Kyoto, Yokohama, Niigata, Sendai. Those were just a few examples. The realization began to dawn on Koutarou that if this went ahead, their life as they know it would change completely.

Koutarou had a job here, a life here, he couldn’t abandon that. Tetsurou’s life, apart from Koutarou, was his music. That is where he poured his heart and soul to and he did it in such a heartwarming and dedicated way. It showed, of course it showed, that’s why they had become this successful. The amount of work, time, sweat and tears put into the music they made… Koutarou knew all too well how many nights Tetsurou spent wide awake with an idea that wouldn’t let go of his thoughts, preventing him from sleep.

He’d wake up at five in the morning and the other side of the bed would be ice cold. He’d get up and find Tetsurou in the kitchen, sometimes clutching at his hair, sometimes with a mug of coffee that had gone cold hours ago. He’d sigh and kiss him, make them both breakfast with the full knowledge that Tetsurou probably hadn’t eaten anything since last night’s dinner. It still made him want to yell, scold him, sometimes cry because he wished Tetsurou could take better care of himself, he was careless and forgot but to Koutarou that just wasn’t acceptable and he wasn’t always there to take care of it for him. He’d given up on getting mad because it was fruitless. He just turned it around into extra care, extra kindness. His job had him well trained in it too.

When patients faltered and felt like giving up, he had to be there to motivate them. He was the one who helped them walk when they were dragging their feet, the one who held on to their bodies so they wouldn’t fall.

Essentially, he did the same for Tetsurou. He just picked up the pieces he’d shed around himself and put them back where they belonged. He’d hold him tight and tell him he loved him before leaving and text him a reminder to eat during the day. He knew Tetsurou didn’t always listen but at least his consciousness was clear. He did his best as Tetsurou’s partner.

In return, Tetsurou cared for him his own way. On hard days, when the energy had been drained from his body and Koutarou could barely look up from the ground, Tetsurou would leave his work unfinished to hold him in his arms and sing him to sleep. He’d make up lullabies on the spot and sometimes they were silly and didn’t make sense but they made Koutarou laugh, weakly but a laugh nonetheless, and the iron grip around both their hearts would loosen just a bit. Light shines brighter in the darkest darkness, right?

And this system worked. They had made it work for almost three years now. They had their own place together and a cat named Haru. She had the fluffiest black fur and flecks of white along her coat. Koutarou had brought her home after volunteering at an overcrowded shelter. They had told him they’d have to kill her because there wasn’t enough space and he couldn’t take it. He’d cried on Tetsurou’s shoulder over how cruel the world can really be and Tetsurou assured him they had more than enough space to take her in. They had become a tight little family and Koutarou was grateful. Love still flowed between them easily.

 

 

“Kou! Baby, come here! Where are you?” Tetsurou called out as soon as he barged in through the front door. Koutarou came out of the kitchen and greeted him with a smile.

“What is it that’s got you like this? It used to be me, you know…” Koutarou teased.

“It still is, you know that…” Tetsurou replied, rubbing their noses together and placing a kiss on Koutarou’s lips.

Koutarou went back to the kitchen and Tetsurou trailed after him, sitting on one of their tall counter chairs while Koutarou went back to making dinner.

“Me and the guys finally decided on a date. Our first stop is Yokohama on the 24th. We’ll announce the list tomorrow officially!” Tetsurou announced excitedly.

Koutarou was still facing away from him and he was trying to decide on one emotion: happiness, pride, sadness, loneliness. On one hand, he couldn’t be more proud of Tetsurou for being able to reach this stage in his career, not only him but all the guys, they deserved it. However, he couldn’t help but feel a little hopeless because for all of Tetsurou’s distraction he probably still hadn’t thought about where that would leave them. It’s not that things had to change necessarily, but they did. That was life and Koutarou was afraid of what this change could possibly bring with it.

He schooled his expression into one of contentment and smiled.

“I’m really happy for you.” He said, matter of fact. It’s not like he was faking how glad he was Tetsurou was accomplishing good things in his life.

“But tell me…for how long?” He forced himself to ask, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. _Don’t let it get to you, don’t let it get to you,_ he repeated to himself.

“Oh…three months.”

Koutarou let out the breath he’d been holding. Three months… It could be worse.

“Three months…” He repeated out loud. “We can do three months…right?” Koutarou asked, looking for reassurance out of his partner.

“Of course! What kind of question is that, Bo?” Tetsurou replied, extending his arms outwards for Koutarou to slot himself in the middle of his embrace. He did, resting his head on Tetsurou’s shoulder for a few seconds. He let his smile fade.

_I’m not sure you’re seeing the whole picture, Tetsu…_

When they parted, Koutarou shook himself out of his hazy thoughts and tried his best to bring back his cheerful self.

He told Tetsurou about his current patient, a teenage boy who had been runover and broken both legs who was now in the last stages of recovery. He was proud of that little boy who hardly complained even though Koutarou could tell it was difficult. The boy smashed his teeth together and bit the inside of his cheeks around the pain but he never, ever complained. And Koutarou was proud of someone who could be that strong. He learned a lot from his patients, he realized. Maybe being strong could be one of those things.

“We’ll open a bottle of champagne to celebrate.” Koutarou suggested.

Tetsurou got up and placed himself behind Koutarou, wrapping strong arms around his middle and kissing his cheek.

“Or…something else.”

Koutarou laughed and shook his head, letting go of the knife he was using to cut up vegetables. He whipped his hands on a washcloth and turned around to face Tetsurou, backing him up against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

“Or something else.” He confirmed, leading Tetsurou to the bedroom by the hand.


	2. Crown braids and loose song verses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsurou leaves for his tour but Koutarou won't miss his first concert. Cue Sugawara Koushi, the miracle worker for unique night looks and drunk conversations.

The phone rang and Kenma picked it up on the spot.

“Kenma?” The voice on the other side of the line asked. The voice was quiet, almost a whisper in Kenma’s ear.

“Koutarou? What’s happening?”

“Can you meet me today?”

“Do I bring Keiji?”

“No.”

“I see.”

There was a moment of silence before either of them spoke again. They decided where to meet and hung up the phone.

 

 

They met at the train station and walked slowly to each other once spotting the other. Koutarou smiled weakly and Kenma opened his arms to hug him, because not only had it been a few months but because Koutarou looked like he needed it.

They walked out of the station and wandered the streets for a while before finding a quiet little coffee shop with few people and some privacy. Kenma didn’t say anything or force the words out of Koutarou. He merely waited patiently and drank his hot chocolate calmly in expectation.

“Tetsu is leaving.” Koutarou started and Kenma’s eyebrows shot up which was almost too much emotion out of him.

“I- I mean, for a while! On a tour…with the band.” Koutarou clarified and Kenma settled back onto his chair and kept his eyes focused on Koutarou’s changing expressions, certainly piecing together in his mind what exactly he was trying to say.

“What worries you?” Kenma asked simply and Koutarou sighed.

“Things may change between us.”

“How so?”

“There’s the distance…the time apart…what if he finds something out there? What if he doesn’t come back?” Koutarou’s eyes looked desperate. It was clear he’d been chewed out by these thoughts for a while.

“You’re overthinking this.” Kenma stated, no hesitation.

“You’ve been together for three years. You’ve lived together for over a year now. Do you think your bond is that weak?”

Koutarou stopped to think, to really wonder about their shared life together.

He remembered snaps here and there.

The time Tetsurou told him he loved him while they were laying sleepy in bed, out of the blue, like it was just a thought that had popped suddenly into his mind.

Or the week in which they moved in together, when they spent the first few days unpacking and then built a fort out of the boxes. They had so much fun with that.

The time Tetsurou told him he was his best friend and that people come and go but friendship like theirs was forever, no matter the rest. _Even if we weren’t in love with each other anymore_ , Tetsurou admitted, _I’d never leave your side._

Thinking back on it, Koutarou had no reasons to worry about being apart for a while. But he knew in the back of his mind it wasn’t the three months ahead that worried him. He was scared that three months wouldn’t be enough. That Japan wouldn’t be enough. Maybe not even the world was enough for the brightness that was Tetsurou, for his amazing talent, his melodic voice.

On the other hand, why suffer in anticipation? It was irrational of him to focus on something that may never come. And if it did, he’d have to deal with it but for now…he could enjoy his boyfriend’s success without wondering if that would break something inside their tight bond.

“You’re right.”

“Don’t dwell on things that aren’t there, Koutarou.” Kenma reminded him. Koutarou gave him a nod and a small smile.

Koutarou took Kenma to an arcade in thanks for listening to him and paid for his evening of gaming. Kenma invited him for dinner and he accepted. It’d been a while since him, Kenma and Akaashi had all been together. It was more than overdue. He called Tetsurou to warn him.

“I’m staying at Kenma and Akaashi’s tonight, is that alright?”

“Of course it is, Bo. Give them a hug for me, will you?”

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tetsu. I love you.”

“I love you.”

The line died and Koutarou put his phone back inside his pocket. The smell from the kitchen travelled over to the couch where he was sitting in the living room and he remembered just how much he loved Akaashi’s food.

He felt like they didn’t do this often enough anymore. He’d missed their company.

Maybe now that Tetsurou was going to be away for a while he’d have a little more time to visit them, maybe even a little more time for himself. He’d been meaning to go back to the gym regularly. Lately, he’d only gone with Hajime once or twice a week. He’d miss his gym buddy too but what could you do? The curse of having musician friends.

 

 

“I won’t miss your first concert.” Koutarou announced as Tetsurou was about to leave for Yokohama.

“What?” Tetsurou looked surprised and that made Koutarou smile delightedly.

“I’ll be there tonight.” He promised.

Tetsurou’s eyes widened and a smile broke free across his lips. He lifted Koutarou up in a tight hug and kissed him, still holding him a few inches from the floor. Not too many though, his boyfriend was buff as fuck after all.

“Let me know, I’ll let you in backstage.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, you’re an honorary member after all!” They both laughed, still in each other’s arms. It was like they were prolonging the moment before having to let go. But they eventually did and Koutarou waved Tetsurou away until the car was out of sight and went back inside the house. He showered and put together an outfit, taking off to Suga’s house shortly after. They’d get ready together and then catch the train later this evening directly to Yokohama.

 

 

“You look amazing, Bo!” Koushi cheered as he observed Koutarou from behind on the long mirror.

“You think so? Not too much?” He asked, gesturing at the light red with little hints of golden eye makeup Koushi had applied to his eyelids and bellow his eyes.

“It’s _just_ perfect. He’ll love it!” Koushi assured as he braided Koutarou’s hair into two separate braids on either side of his head and pinned them together on the back to form a crown. In the end, he placed himself in front of Koutarou to appreciate his own work.

“You look like an angel, all white and golden, and now you even have a halo.” He said, gesturing at the braided crown on top of Koutarou’s head. Koutarou shook his head.

“You make miracles happen, Koushi.” They both laughed loudly and finished the bottle of wine they’d opened once Koutarou had arrived.

“Let’s get our coats and get the hell out of here!” Koushi exclaimed, clearly buzzed already. He put his fur coat on and gave himself a once over in the mirror before leaving. He gave himself the finger guns and both of them cracked up over it.

 

 

They amused themselves on the train ride over.

“God, can you believe it? Me and Daichi have been together for 7 years! That’s almost a decade! I feel so old!” Koushi whined.

“You’re like a veteran in the couples’ game, you should feel proud!”

Koushi paused to chew the thought and decided it was good enough for him.

“You’re right! I should receive an award to be honest… Daichi snores…” He admits, a horrified look on his face that clearly showed one too many nights of trying to fall asleep to the shredder like noises.

“Tetsu leaves his clothes all over the house, randomly. I once found a pair of socks on the dishwasher and he swears he was extremely sleep deprived that day, but still…the hell?!”

“The shit we put up with, right?” Koutarou nodded in agreement.

“But… Daichi took me back to Seoul on our last anniversary because that was our first trip together… That’s when he proposed too… Shit Bo, help!” Koushi’s eyes were watering at a quick rate and he’d mess up his make-up if he started to bawl right now.

“I have hairy nipples!” Koutarou shouted loudly, earning strange looks from the other people next to them and Koushi cracked up immediately, wheezing and out of breath, doubled over himself.

“Really?!” He demanded.

“No…but it worked, right?” Koushi finished his sudden laughing spree and they entertained themselves with more ridiculous stories about their respective partners until they reached their destination.

 

 

They reached the venue shortly before the start of the concert and their boyfriends let them in backstage for some quick good luck kisses, giddy smiles and hushed encouragements.

“You look…breathtaking.” Tetsurou admits, the words low and intimate in Koutarou’s ear. Koutarou thanked Koushi silently in his head one more time for helping him with tonight’s look.

“Take me back to your hotel room tonight. I’ll let you mess it up.” He whispered back, confident in leaving Tetsurou with a good deal of motivation for the performance ahead.

_Menace_ , Tetsurou mouthed at Koutarou before kissing him breathless, lights flashing around them purple, red, yellow.

“Please welcome, The Back Alley Cats!” Was heard from nearby and that was their cue to go on stage. Tetsurou let go of Koutarou and flashed him a toothy grin and winked as he backpedaled towards the spotlight.

_You’ll accomplish great things, Tetsu_ , Koutarou thought proudly to himself.

 

 

“You look so beautiful I’m afraid to undo it…” Tetsurou admitted as he hovered over Koutarou who was laying on the fluffy hotel covers looking up at him expectantly.

“You can take a picture for posterity’s sake.” Koutarou said jokingly but Tetsurou pulled out his phone and snapped a few shots. Koutarou began laughing halfway and Tetsurou’s favorite picture was just that: Koutarou laughing, his white grey hair spread over the black mattress, his makeup glinting, the gold of his eyes catching the light and this overjoyed look on his face.

“Let’s enjoy this night, okay?” Koutarou smiled calmly as Tetsurou pulled his sweater up, exposing the skin of his stomach and kissing the sensitive spot on the curve of his hipbone, making him bite his lip in delight and anticipation. He kissed up Koutarou’s chest and took his clothing off in one smooth pull. Koutarou plopped down on the bed again and watched patiently as Tetsurou undressed him in time with kisses and caresses.

 

 

Hours later they lay in bed covered in a thin shin of sweat and other fluids, completely spent. Koutarou drew patterns in Tetsurou’s chest with his fingertips.

“You really murdered my braids.” He whispered thoughtfully. Tetsurou huffed out a laugh.

“You seemed to like it…you came just seconds later after all.” Tetsurou stated smugly. Koutarou conceded but not without giving him a stinging stare first.

He had really enjoyed the look. He’d have to ask Koushi to do it for him more often. Maybe teach Tetsurou so he could do it as well.

“Where to next?” Koutarou asked, having forgotten the list he’d put up on the fridge so he’d always know where Tetsurou would be going next.

“Shizuoka.” Tetsurou replied, a yawn leaving his mouth.

Koutarou let the conversation die out, Tetsurou needed to rest. They’d say goodbye tomorrow once again and see each other in a few months. Meanwhile, he’d keep himself busy.

 

 

“You should join me in kick boxing classes. I think you’d be really good at it! Plus, you could be my kick buddy, then I won’t have to fake punch strangers.” Koushi suggested.

They went to the same gym but Koutarou usually worked out by himself or with Iwaizumi and wouldn’t take classes. But it did sound fun and Suga would be there… He decided he could give it a try.

Turns out kick boxing was awesome as hell.

He loved the energy burst that came from it and how tired and satisfied he felt after, his muscles humming with the effort and sleep came easier.

 

 

Later that night he threw himself on the bed, pajamas on, and pressed the call button on Tetsurou’s number.

“How was tonight’s concert?” He asked sleepily and listened happily as Tetsurou geeked out over the events of a few hours ago.

“I wrote something for you.” Koutarou perked up slightly at the announcement. It wasn’t the first time but it still amazed him that he could be the muse for Tetsurou’s compositions.

_When I see your golden eyes_   
_I wonder how you’re mine_   
_Or how that angel face and that devil look_   
_Will be my demise_

_“_ Were you thinking about _that_ night?” Koutarou questioned, smiling languidly.

“Yes…looking back at those pictures…I miss you, Kou.”

“I miss you too, Tetsu.” Koutarou admitted.

“Two more months.” Tetsurou confirmed, almost like a promise, like _I’ll be back_ .

“Two more months.” Koutarou echoed.

They hung up seconds later and Koutarou curled up to Tetsurou’s pillow which barely smelled of him anymore. He let his eyes fall shut and let Tetsurou’s singing voice echo lazily in his foggy mind, lulling him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love the idea of suga and bokuto getting drunk and being silly together. also bokuto with braided hair. any. day.
> 
> find me on tumblr at tetsuskitten!


	3. The world out there showed me what it means to come home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world out there is beautiful and Tetsurou's desire is to share it with the one person that makes him feel like he belongs somewhere, that when he comes back there's someone he can call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kuroo is underlined  
> bokuto is italics

“I took up cooking classes.” Koutarou announced on the phone halfway through the second month.

“I wanted to invite Akaashi and Kenma over for once and I realized I didn’t have the skills to make something…that wasn’t just an usual dish?” He explained further.

“And are you any good at it?” Tetsurou asked curiously but with a hint of teasing.

“Well…” Koutarou hesitated. “I’m average? But Koushi’s helping me out after work and I’m getting better.”

“No one better than Koushi to help with that, he runs his own restaurant after all.”

“How he makes enough time for me is a wonder, to be honest.”

“You know he’s always been fond of you, Kou! But who isn’t?”

“You’re always such a sap, Tetsu!”

“I’m your sap, honey bear!” Tetsurou cooed from the other side and Koutarou half groaned, half laughed at how ridiculous this grown man could still be.

“But how is Suga doing, by the way?”

“He’s fine, he misses Daichi, says he can’t wait for them to get married so he can go nude sun bathing in the best beaches in Europe on their honeymoon!” Tetsurou laughed and Koutarou joined him. When they regained their breath, Tetsurou spoke.

“You know, I think Hajime and Tooru got the best end of this deal. I’ve never seen them happier…” Tetsurou sighs, a small smile dancing on his lips as he reminisced his friends’ happiness.

“I bet. They get to do what they love while being with the person they love, is there anything better than that?” There was a long stretch of silence before either of them spoke, lost in their own thoughts.

“There really isn’t, Kou. But you’re having fun and I’m having fun so I think this proves something, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.”

The unspoken was usually more important than what was spoken and in this case why clarify something that was already as clear as water? True love isn’t possession, it isn’t dependence. Rather, it’s feeling free in every way without it mattering how near or far you are. It’s supporting each other’s passions. It’s the _keep showing up_ kind of love. The kind of love where you’re witness to your partner’s accomplishments and they yours and you’re both proud, you’re both growing individually but together. While that remains true, the love won’t fade away nor will it disappear.

 

 

Tetsurou’s phone dinged with the sound of a new message.

_Kou has sent you a new picture file,_ it read on the screen.

Tetsurou cautiously looked around just in case this was one of those private pictures meant for him only. When he opened the file what he saw definitely left him drooling.

It was a perfectly adorned plate, teriyaki duck in the middle with sauce all around it, garnished with green onions and a side of white rice.

(07:56) baby, you made that?! god it looks delicious!!

(07:56) _right?!? and I even did it all by myself!! well, suga was giving instructions but still, it was all me on the doing it part_

(07:57) i’m proud

(07:57) _< 3_

 

 

A few days later, a package arrived at their house for Koutarou. He checked from where it came from and it read _Niigata._ He smiled knowingly and grabbed a knife to open the package. In it, there were two pieces of cloth and a card. He opened the card first.

 

_I hope you have more fun cooking with this on! And when I get back maybe you can cook with only this on ;) _

_Tetsurou_

He took the fabric out of the box and let it unfold. There were two separate aprons. One of them read _Mr. Good Lookin’ is Cookin’_ and the other one had an adorable picture of an owl and bellow it read _The chef is a hoot!_ Koutarou smiled to himself as he contemplated the silly yet thoughtful gift.

(04:39) _i loved it!! owl wear it all the time ;)_

(04:40) i knew you’d love that one the most, nerd!

(04:41) _thank you tetsu!!_

(04:42) anything to make you smile :D

(04:43) _sap <3_

 

 

“What are you smiling at?” Daichi asked Tetsurou when they were in the middle of a break from sound testing. Tetsurou turned the phone around to show him. It was a picture of Koutarou with Haru asleep in his chest, curled up around his neck. Daichi smiled in understanding and placed a hand on Tetsurou’s shoulder.

“Two weeks until we go back home, man.” He said, parts reassuring and glad they’d see their partners again but a hint of something else, something that grew in all four of them, this desire that saw the open road ahead and wanted to keep seeing where it would lead next. The horizon seemed to never end and to keep calling, in a sure and clear voice, for them to come searching for it again.

 

 

The locks on the door moved and soon Tetsurou was walking through the front door. A delicious smell surrounded him and he followed it all the way to the kitchen, holding Koutarou on a long overdue embrace.

“I was expecting you.” Koutarou murmured, turning around and nuzzling Tetsurou’s neck, taking in his scent, somewhat different from the one he’d had before leaving three months ago.

“I’m home.” Tetsurou confirmed aloud, to Koutarou, to himself.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Go shower. It’ll be ready soon.”

Tetsurou hugged closer, tighter, forcing a laugh out of Koutarou.

“Or just cling to me until it’s ready. I won’t complain!” He went back to stirring the rice in the pan and Tetsurou rested his head on Koutarou’s shoulder, watching Koutarou’s hands move but not really focused.

Koutarou flicked him in the forehead.

“Hey! Don’t fall asleep on me!” He called. Tetsurou merely hummed, nuzzling his neck further and kissing him softly.

Soon, they were having dinner and Tetsurou praised Koutarou’s new found cooking skills leaving Koutarou flushed from appreciation.

 

 

“I have a gift for you.” Tetsurou announced as they were both sitting on the couch, clinging to each other. He got up and extracted a brown leather-bound book from one of his suitcases and handed it to Koutarou who straightened up and placed it in his lap. He waited for Tetsurou to sit next to him before opening it to the first page.

In the white paper it read: _I hope the next time I leave you can come with me. This is the world through my eyes and I look forward to seeing it anew, reflected in yours._

Koutarou smiled fondly at the romantic and poetic undertones of Tetsurou’s writing and caressed the paper with his right thumb as if trying to touch the words, to soak them in.

He flipped to a new page and there were pictures. The first one he recognized. It was their first concert. That first night in Yokohama. A picture of him lying in bed. Another of the view of the sun rising from their room on the 19th floor.

The rest Koutarou didn’t know but Tetsurou explained as he flipped the pages. Nagoya’s castle. Sentō Imperial Palace Garden in Kyoto, dressed in autumn hues, red and orange, looking like blazing fire. Kobe’s Chinatown, alive at night, lights shimmering from above the stores. Fukui’s sea stretching and in the distance the flicker of a single lighthouse. Glowing firefly squid on the shore of one of Toyama’s beaches. The Bandai bridge photographed from above, crossing the Shinano river in Niigata, the lights from the traffic bellow glowing red and blue neon. Sendai’s Pageant of Starlight, a big winter illumination display, warm yellow lights wrapped around dozens of threes along Jozenji-dori.

Koutarou closed the photo album slowly, making sure no page was folded and paused to think for a while.

“This makes me wish I’d been there.” Koutarou confessed, looking into Tetsurou’s eyes.

“I wish you’d been there too. That’s one of the reasons I made it. I wanted you to see. I don’t want you to miss the world out there, Kou.” Koutarou bit his bottom lip, emotion threatening to overflow him.

“That’s why there’s something I wanted to ask you.” Tetsurou admitted calmly and took a small box from his jacket, perched on the side of the couch. He opened it to reveal a silver ring.

“Spend the rest of your life with me?”

Koutarou felt warm tears spill across his cheeks and he choked on a breath, his tongue curling around an answer. In lieu of replying aloud, he simply nodded his head yes, fervently and wrapped his arms around Tetsurou’s neck, Tetsurou holding him back and smiling, relieved.

He pushed the ring onto Koutarou’s finger and they both observed it as it caught the light.

“It suits you.”

Koutarou shook his head in disbelief.

“For how long were you planning this?” He questioned.

“Two weeks now, maybe. Remember that picture you sent me, you and Haru? I felt homesick looking at that picture. I realized it wasn’t because I missed our house or Tokyo. I just missed you, I missed us together. I missed feeling like I was home.”

“You’re going to make me cry again, Tetsu…” Koutarou warned, his eyes already becoming watery and puffy.

“But it’s the truth. I can’t say being apart was a bad thing, I think it was really good, for both of us. I got to focus on my music and you found new things you love to do. I’m so happy for that, Kou.” Tetsurou continued.

“And now, I’m happy to be back because…I love it out there and I know I’ll return but being away also made me realize I belong somewhere and that made me incredibly happy too. The thought that I belong with you makes me want to scream with joy, makes me want to tell strangers on the street!”

Tetsurou wiped Koutarou’s tears away.

“But you’re the only one who needs to know.” Tetsurou finished, placing a soft kiss on Koutarou’s lips which he returned, sighing into it, his mind still working a mile a minute to process this elaborate confession.

He couldn’t say he’d been expecting it but the element of surprise made it better. Knowing the intimate and intricate feelings inside Tetsurou’s mind was more than he could’ve asked for and yet it was handed to him with ease.

Like a gift.

Like the most precious offer of love.


End file.
